Spokane, Wash. --Internet Ventures Inc. renewed its
bid for leased-access carriage on AT&T Broadband & Internet Services' cable
system here last week
IVI's Internet On-Ramp affiliate complained to city
manager William Pupo and the Spokane Cable Advisory Board, asking that AT&T
Broadband's franchise be lifted if it does not allow IOR to offer Internet access
over its cable system.
The complaint alleges that the franchise that AT&T
Broadband inherited from Tele-Communications Inc. requires that the operator of the local
system "make channels available" to unaffiliated programmers under federal
leased-access requirements.
IVI wanted a single 6-megahertz channel to use to offer
Internet access, but TCI refused.
Kenneth Watts, general manager of the Spokane system, said
AT&T Broadband would "vigorously defend" its position that federal
leased-access rules apply only to video providers.
